Jiaogepengyou Livestream Sold Moldy Stool, Says Product Removed

A bestselling children's stool sold through a "Make Friends" (交个朋友) livestream channel has been found to contain moldy wood and waste sponge, raising serious questions about quality control at one of China's top livestream e-commerce platforms.

The Problem: A Moldy Stool

According to a report by Blue Whale News, a consumer who purchased a "Universal Wheel Rolling Stool" (溜溜凳) from the "Make Friends Smart Home Best-Sellers" livestream room disassembled the product and discovered:

• The interior was filled with moldy wood boards and waste sponge
• The stool emitted a strong, pungent odor

In response, "Make Friends" customer service offered only a standard reply: "We are verifying this." Interesting Report attempted to contact "Make Friends" Beijing office, but the phone line was disconnected.

The report further noted that the merchant involved repeatedly called the consumer, demanding the removal of the exposé video. A customer service representative for the "Make Friends Smart Home Best-Sellers" channel confirmed the store was affiliated and had previously sold the stool, but the product has now been fully removed from the platform.

The Seller: A New, Low-Capital Company

The product was sold by "Holiday Childhood Yunxi Furniture Store," whose registered business entity is Xiamen Yunxi Furniture Co., Ltd. According to Tianyancha App, the company was established in June 2026 with a registered capital of just 100,000 RMB.

Why Did This Happen?

The Price Problem

The stool was sold for 89.9 RMB in the livestream. Zhang Sheng, a former internet operations professional now working in the furniture industry, estimated that a stool of this type, using mid-range materials and accounting for labor, rent, and marketing costs, would normally retail for 300–500 RMB.

The "Extreme Cheap" Trap

Zhang explained that under intense pressure from platforms and merchants to offer "extreme low prices" to retain users and boost sales, profit margins are squeezed to near zero. Furniture, often a one-time purchase with low repurchase rates, is particularly vulnerable:

"Many small furniture items look the same on the outside, but the inside is a completely different story. Consumers are often buying 'self-comforting cheapness.' You get what you pay for—that's an iron rule."

Systemic Weaknesses in the "Matrix" Model

Professor Cui Lili, Deputy Dean of the Digital Economy Research Institute at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, pointed out that this incident reflects a fundamental contradiction in "Make Friends'" shift from "strong IP endorsement-based selling" to "matrix-account traffic wholesale e-commerce."

Key issues identified:

• Front-end: A massive number of matrix accounts (over 70 as of June 30, 2026) are focused on conversion rates
• Mid-end: Product selection and review processes are squeezed by metrics like "can sell volume" and "can be listed"
• Back-end: Heavy reliance on white-label brands or new-entity specialty stores for fulfillment

Professor Cui noted that "Make Friends" now partners with over 30,000 brands. Under such volume, mid-level reviews tend to prioritize price advantage and conversion rates, while quality control in hidden areas is weakened. The use of new, low-capital entities (like the one in this case) means low违约成本 (cost of breaking contracts), making it easy for them to close up shop and disappear if problems arise.

"Low-price hot products, new-entity supply, and a home goods category with hidden quality issues—this is a high-risk combination," Cui said.

The Numbers: Profit Up, Sales Down

The moldy stool incident comes at a time when "Make Friends" has just released a seemingly strong financial report.

According to its 2026 Interim Report:

| Metric | H1 2026 | Change | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Revenue | ~770.5 million RMB | +24.5% | | Gross Profit | ~324.4 million RMB | – | | Net Profit | ~86.5 million RMB | +56.3% |

However, behind the profit surge, actual sales volume is shrinking. Wind data shows:

• GMV for H1 2026: ~6.53 billion RMB, down 6.5% year-on-year
• Q2 2026 GMV: down 11.2% year-on-year

In short, "Make Friends" squeezed out more profit by opening more livestream rooms and controlling costs, but it is actually selling fewer goods as traffic peaks and consumer fatigue sets in.

The "Compliance Department" Gap

In its interim report, "Make Friends" stated that in February 2026, it formally established an independent compliance department to oversee the entire livestream lifecycle across three areas: products, content, and hosts.

The sale of the moldy stool, however, exposes a significant gap in this system. While the merchant made the harassing calls, the incident reveals major flaws in the platform's oversight of authorized stores and daily supervision, undermining the "compliance system" highlighted in the financial report.

The "Luo Yonghao" Factor

The incident has drawn criticism online, with a top comment noting: "Luo Yonghao is always online criticizing others' products, but now a problem comes from a livestream room associated with him."

Luo Yonghao, the founder and public face of "Make Friends," was instrumental in its initial success, leveraging his personal brand and credibility. In 2022, he stepped back from management, and his personal Douyin account was renamed "Make Friends Livestream Room." His role has since shifted to occasional guest appearances and the title of "Chief Brand Supervisor."

Industry commentator Zhang Shule noted that while "Make Friends" has tried to "de-Luo Yonghao" itself in the capital markets, the founder remains strongly tied to the brand.

"Perhaps Luo Yonghao should step forward now. He frequently exercises his right to supervise online, so naturally he will face stricter scrutiny from the public. His aggressive external supervision, contrasted with a 'don't answer' strategy for related brands, is extremely damaging to brand credibility."

Conclusion: Can We Still "Make Friends"?

The crisis response—standard "verifying" replies from customer service and attempts to silence the consumer—reveals that "Make Friends" has much to learn in crisis management and, most importantly, quality control.

As the company itself stated in its report: "In 2026, the livestream e-commerce industry continues to grow but at a slowing pace. The industry is shifting from scale expansion to lean operations and efficiency-driven success."

In this new phase, if a company cannot even guarantee the quality of a simple stool, opening more matrix accounts will not ensure long-term success. It may be time for Luo Yonghao to personally step in and assess whether "Make Friends" can truly still be a friend.

References:

1. Blue Whale News, Lu Pengpeng. "Make Friends Livestream Room Sells Problematic 'Rolling Stool': Interior Uses Moldy Wood, Waste Sponge; Responds It Has Been Fully Removed." September 20, 2026.
2. Jiemian News, Chen Xiaotong. "Using Moldy Wood and Waste Sponge, Make Friends Fully Removes 'Rolling Stool'." September 20, 2026.